Who we help

The Bill 7 Award is a bursary for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, queer and 2-spirited students in desperate financial need attending any post-secondary institution in Ontario.

Post-secondary education is invaluable, but it’s not cheap. For many young people, it’s a constant struggle to scrape together the money to continue in school. Now try to imagine the situation for some queer youth: for example, someone who has been thrown out by their family and is on their own.

Let us give you an example of the type of youth we help. When Willie came out, his family wanted nothing to do with him. He was getting no support from his family. Moreover, he was ineligible for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). Why? If you have lived with your family within the recent past, OSAP requires a statement signed by your parents that they are no longer supporting you. Willie’s family refused to sign this, and thus on top of their own lack of support, denied him access to the usual student assistance that others would have available to them.

Yet here was a young person who despite having all this working against him, was interested in pursuing further education, and was bright enough and determined enough to get into a post-secondary institution, all on his own. He was in danger of having to drop out strictly for monetary reasons.

At Bill 7, we believe that if we are truly to be a community that forms “chosen families”, it is our role and our responsibility to support these young people when their own families cannot or will not.

Bev Lepischak (SOY Manager), recipient Stephanie Leclair, Trust chair Connie Bonello, and recipient Willie Wile at 2001 Award presentation